Isoprene is a five carbon hydrocarbon (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene), that is an industrial chemical used in a range of industrial application such as tires, footwear, sporting goods, latex, tapes, labels, and medical disposables. Isoprene is also a natural compound produced in biological systems. While isoprene is made naturally in various organisms ranging from microbes to animals, most naturally occurring isoprene has traditionally been extracted from rubber plants. However, extraction yields are low and these quantities are far less than are required for many commercial applications. As a result, isoprene is primarily produced synthetically from petroleum sources, most often from ethylene using a steam cracking process.
Due to the growing concern for climate change and thus a need to make products we need more sustainably, there is an urgent need for bio- or renewable isoprene that will help meet global isoprene demands but that can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way. The current invention addresses this need.